Thursday, May 28, 2009

Congressional Briefing on the Prevalence of Adults with Serious Mental Illnesses in Jails

From the Consensus Project:On Monday, June 1, the Council of State Governments Justice Center will host a Congressional staff briefing on a new study on the prevalence of adults with serious mental illnesses in jails. The study, highlighted in the June issue of Psychiatric Services, was conducted by the Council of State Governments Justice Center, in partnership with Policy Research Associates.

The briefing will focus the study findings, implications for jail systems, the courts, communities, and persons with serious mental illnesses. The role of the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act (MIOTCRA) grant program in stimulating comprehensive evidence-based services and supports will be discussed.

Presenters will include, Fred Osher, Director, Health Systems and Services Policy, Council of State Governments Justice Center and Study Co-Author; Judge Steven Leifman, Special Advisor on Criminal Justice and Mental Health, Supreme Court of Florida; Art Wallenstein, Director, Montgomery County Department of Correction and Rehabilitation, MD; and Fred Frese, Ph.D., Psychologist who is a leading expert and spokesperson on serious mental illnesses, diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of 25.